2 button metroidvania by JaJ

[raw]
made by JaJ for LD34 (COMPO)
This is an experiment to see if a metroidvania with two button controls is possible (answer, yes!)

It is more a demonstration than an actual game, as I didn't have a lot of time this weekend, and could only spend about 8 hours on it.

By the way, in true metroidvania style there IS a secret ending!

Controls:
A does various things, mainly jumping
S does various things, mainly shooting

IMPORTANT: If you have a lot of trouble getting to the checkpoint with the ^^AS mark, that's because you're not supposed to get on there before you get the required powerup! ("Jumpshot")

The web version may lag as I didn't make the game with web version in mind.
To start, first click inside the window, then press any button to make the hero start walking.

Ratings

Coolness 24% 2115
Overall 3.85 90
Audio 3.42 163
Fun 3.62 167
Graphics 3.87 140
Humor 2.37 476
Innovation 3.93 72
Mood 3.46 181
Theme 4.24 76

Feedback

TijmenTio
14. Dec 2015 · 15:06 UTC
Found the secret ending! This was really hard...
Modoc73
14. Dec 2015 · 15:06 UTC
Absolutely great. Awesome implementation of two button controls. Sweet art work. Level design even made you think. Found the secret ending though. Well done man! And 8hrs, gosh blimey.
HolyBlackCat
14. Dec 2015 · 15:09 UTC
Very nice! Good graphics and interesting music.
I like how you put everything a medroidvania needs into a such simple game.
And I found the secret ending.
PixlWalkr
14. Dec 2015 · 15:12 UTC
Pretty good mechanics, nice pixel art also.
aamatniekss
14. Dec 2015 · 15:13 UTC
Nice, clever controls and pretty polished overall! Good job, I enjoyed it, even if it was very hard! :D
Pete_H
14. Dec 2015 · 15:14 UTC
Awesome entry!! The controls are brilliant, great way to work with the 2 button theme. Audio and art are grea. I did sometimes struggle to work out how to do certain moves and did eventually get stuck, but if I didn't have a tonne of games I want to try I would continue to play and figure it out. Great entry!
kernel panic
14. Dec 2015 · 15:17 UTC
Excellent Game! Really hits that two button theme!
silkworm_sweatshop
14. Dec 2015 · 15:33 UTC
Cool! I thought the controls would take longer to get used to but I got a hang of it pretty quickly. I like how you got so many move-sets just by using button combinations. I got the secret ending to :D.
tgrehawi
14. Dec 2015 · 16:05 UTC
I feel like an idiot because I can't get over the ledge after the pit you get wall jumping from... otherwise nice concept!
🎤 JaJ
14. Dec 2015 · 16:09 UTC
Thanks everyone

@tgrehawi *SPOILER* You need to find a new skill first *SPOILER*
Kimau
14. Dec 2015 · 17:54 UTC
Double tap controls were really difficult. Lovely graphics and nice concept.
CrownCity
14. Dec 2015 · 20:51 UTC
Pretty difficult game. But it's nice once you get used to it. I only would have loved it better if the buttons weren't next to each other. Good job overall
johntherobot
14. Dec 2015 · 21:21 UTC
Great game! Love that you got more than two controls on the two buttons and made a pretty complete feeling game. Congratulations on the intuitive level design (mostly) where you showed where each control went as you taught the player.
sP0CkEr2
15. Dec 2015 · 01:40 UTC
really great use of controls - i did get stuck in one part but will try again
bitdecaygames
15. Dec 2015 · 02:31 UTC
Nice gameboy look for sure and good use of 2 buttons for controls.
Drtizzle
15. Dec 2015 · 03:58 UTC
Very nice graphics and music! The use of the controls are interesting but hard to learn. Very nice job!
TheMeorch
15. Dec 2015 · 04:40 UTC
I admire the way you started with an interesting design question/problem and found ways to make it work. I almost got stuck, but I'm glad I kept going and found the secret ending. Really impressive work. Great art and music too!
movedaru
15. Dec 2015 · 06:42 UTC
This is So HARD!!!... GOD!!!... i spend 30 min trying to leave a area O-O... the music its fine, the Graphics are so nice, the Gameplay it´s Hard but it´s perfect to this game style, the two botton control is perfect to the theme, 4,5/5 :)
ChuiGum
15. Dec 2015 · 06:53 UTC
Awesome concept and great graphics, nice music too. Fun game, very cool. Well done!
GoldPlatedXplodingFist
15. Dec 2015 · 07:31 UTC
Wow, the way you used the theme was amazing managing to pack so much functionality into 2 buttons, The level design was really well done and the game was fun play and realy made me think about all the ways to use 2 buttons.
:D
justinooncx
15. Dec 2015 · 07:40 UTC
Holy shit, this is amazing. Wonderful graphics, nice music and sfx, interesting puzzles, all with two buttons! Also got the secret ending!
alvaromartin
15. Dec 2015 · 07:45 UTC
Great game, one of my favorites!
tanis
15. Dec 2015 · 07:55 UTC
It's a fun game! The controls are kind of hard to get used too, but it's a very creative use of the theme! Grats!
Andrew Deem
15. Dec 2015 · 09:12 UTC
Freakin' amazing work for 8 hours. Nice pixel art, good audio. The control idea for this is interesting. It's hard and frustrating, but rewarding and fun when you can get it right. Great job!
NidzaKornjaca
15. Dec 2015 · 09:42 UTC
Smart controls, wonderful graphics, great audio!
Great!
ambi
15. Dec 2015 · 10:11 UTC
Damn that was really tough but made it in the end. :)
Maxi and The Gang
15. Dec 2015 · 10:13 UTC
Superb theme combination! It's very challenging but we've found the bonus skill!
edriavw
15. Dec 2015 · 10:37 UTC
awesome concept, graphics and sound too, but too hard to climb up
hexagore
15. Dec 2015 · 13:28 UTC
This is very clever :) Pretty sure it woudl kill my hands playing a longer version of this so the length is just right too.
esayitch
15. Dec 2015 · 14:50 UTC
Wonderful execution of the 2 button theme: using two buttons to do a wide array of actions! Art was pretty cool, and sound was repetitive but not annoying, very suitable as well.

Overall very solid, and the fact you made this in 8 hours is all the more amazing. Good luck, very well done!
MisterMortal
15. Dec 2015 · 15:29 UTC
Amazing. Really well done. I loved the moments when I was like 'Ok, what combos do what?!' Ace!
Tipyx
15. Dec 2015 · 17:26 UTC
The "taptaptap" is a little annoying, but everything else is great : best use of the theme, intelligent level design, good gameplay :)
local306
15. Dec 2015 · 18:25 UTC
Good job with the two button themed. Very interesting use of progression / leveling up and still only using two buttons
Goutye
15. Dec 2015 · 20:41 UTC
I really appreciate the game until I got stuck here https://i.gyazo.com/32446d86ecc8d4288eb08184cc28000c.png
I didn't understand how I had to push the button. I tried A then S, but not working. Can you explain? I will rate this entry when I will be able to retry with the solution x) Great use of the theme! Really!
🎤 JaJ
15. Dec 2015 · 22:03 UTC
@Goutye: It's A and then S in mid-air, but you need to get a new skill first.
Elemental Zeal Games Studios
16. Dec 2015 · 01:27 UTC
Really solid entry. Great to see a neat implementation of the two button controls. Well done. :)
pjimmy
16. Dec 2015 · 01:42 UTC
cool game, clever concept, sometimes getting the right combination was frustrating. well done
nelskj
16. Dec 2015 · 02:02 UTC
Nice exploitation of the theme !
broknecho
16. Dec 2015 · 05:18 UTC
Definitely a really cool implementation. Works really well as a sort of puzzle metroidvania.

Well done.
anael
16. Dec 2015 · 10:38 UTC
Very very good controls
Spyboy
16. Dec 2015 · 11:03 UTC
Secret ending yay! Hard to play but so much fun!
JD557
16. Dec 2015 · 13:34 UTC
Awesome game! I'm pretty sure this is the best compo entry I've seen.

Awesome graphics: Check!
Awesome soundtrack: Check!
Awesome gameplay: Check!
inbetweengames
16. Dec 2015 · 16:21 UTC
Amazing! Didn't expect this complexity with just two button controls. Great entry! Congrats!
Also found the secret ending.. :) (but was stuck for roughly 5 minutes trying to figure out how to double jump without having necessary skill unlocked..:/)
SaintHeiser
16. Dec 2015 · 17:01 UTC
Very interecting game mechanics which implemetned two themes if meas that player glowing while he is understanding game rules.On other side it's pretty weird to control character this way. Good try anyway!
SHLFStudios
17. Dec 2015 · 00:09 UTC
I think this is quite impressive for the time you say you spent on it. I will say as the controls start getting more complicated with the learned skills, it starts to become a little too unyielding, and found myself stuck due to not knowing how to make a jump... so i didn't get a secret ending :( great job!
karlipoppins
17. Dec 2015 · 02:17 UTC
8 hours only? wow this is purely amazing! Great music, superb animations, wonderful gameboy feel, super challenging.. everything is there, I can't wait to see what you come up with when you have more time! Cheers
fullmontis
18. Dec 2015 · 13:06 UTC
A great little game! I think you were able to capture the limitation of the theme and make it into a game without feeling limited at all. I really enjoyed it.
rnlf
18. Dec 2015 · 16:35 UTC
Those controls though!

Quite infuriating, but eventually I found both endings. Oooof.

Looks very pretty and sound and visuals fit together very nicely.

I liked it! (My left wrist hurts now).
bitslap
18. Dec 2015 · 16:38 UTC
This was a nice and compact metroidvania!
The controls were a bit infuriating but after a while i could navigate with more ease. Though it never became intuitive.

The art did a good job supporting the minimal gameplay as well as the audio! Cool tune!
GFM
18. Dec 2015 · 20:22 UTC
Got to the secret ending! :)

I wasn't expecting to see a two-button metroidvania game... kudos for being able to do it!

I really liked the limited and bluish color palette! The audio was also really fitting for the game.

Great job! :)
YoungHorses
18. Dec 2015 · 21:49 UTC
I like the concept of limiting a platformer to two controls and then stretching the imagination to figure out how to fit otherwise simple actions inside of it. I was not able to get over the tall wall (just after learning wall jump) that requires some sort of wall jump/bullet turnaround combo move.
Jwatt
19. Dec 2015 · 08:05 UTC
Now this is quite an interesting experience, and a creative take on the theme(s). Goes to show there's a lot to do with two buttons. I mostly enjoyed playing to the end, and this is one of the more memorable entries altogether.

To help you work on this more, maybe, here's my two main gripes regarding the gameplay:

1) The reaction times required are occasionally a bit overwhelming. It sorta feels like playing a debug fast-forward mode that you got used to during development, and which you never slowed back down for the poor players who are just taking their first look.

2) The skills aren't really explored to their fullest extent. I guess this is one of those things that feel "off" to me about many modern Metroidvanias. You only get skills to reach the next area - as a new key to a lock - not as a new degree of freedom that allows your character to explore more. This can sort of be excused considering it's made in a weekend, but I'd like to see you play around with non-linearity more after the compo.

Also, the audio does get on your nerves after a bit. Actually it seems out-of-place right from the start, mood-wise. It's just there doing its thing but not really complementing the gameplay.
YinYin
19. Dec 2015 · 16:12 UTC
My thoughts on the ^^AS checkpoint: please kill me.

Both before and after finally reaching it.

My verdict: it does absolutely not work.
🎤 JaJ
19. Dec 2015 · 18:28 UTC
YinYin: Did you actually manage to get up there without finding the required powerup? Wow...
YinYin
19. Dec 2015 · 19:03 UTC
There is a required power up ...?

I only used a wall jump and turning mid air.

And because it seemed like I had to somewhat time my descent into the enemy pits following, I had to double tap turn a lot afterwards. And whenever I once again died down there I re spawned but was still turning half of the time thus falling off to the left again ... (and seemingly no way to kill myself to quickly re spawn up top)

Now that I think about it I should have probably gone back with the wall jump, but at the time it felt like there was only going forward.

I may give this another try, but even till that point it wasn't very fun with a double tap turn. I'd much prefer button hold/release combinations, but maybe these are taken for upgrades further down the road.

Really with those button restrictions and auto movement it's more like a tangled up runner than a Metroidvania. Doesn't work for me.
YinYin
19. Dec 2015 · 19:48 UTC
Okay then, it does work much better once you have the jump shot as it suddenly opens up traversal by several magnitudes. Reached the "secret ending". It kind of ends there at a point where it's only starting to get a little fun.

By the way, is the rapid fire S+A intentional? I cannot remember getting an upgrade for that (without the jump shot I kind of thought I need this to get through the enemy crowded pits by using my amazing ability to "fall" in at the right moment).
PIXEL^3
19. Dec 2015 · 23:09 UTC
Nice little Metroidvania.

The level design wasn't horrible except for that second enemy pit after getting autofire. I died 4 times before I even killed a single enemy. It also needs better indication that you need to explore at the ^^AS mark. Maybe just removing the mark altogether would do.

The Secret ending was cool, though if you had more time I feel like this is where you would've put a more difficult challenge.
🎤 JaJ
20. Dec 2015 · 00:12 UTC
S+A was intentional, I needed to find a way to shoot multiple shots without turning. You get the upgrade at the long part where it says S+A on the floor.

Personally, I'm not that happy with level design from the first checkpoint onwards at all. There are so many cool things I could have done, but that's where the lack of time became an issue. I don't hate what it is now (I really think it's just a demonstration of possibilities), but it could have been really good, I think.

On the turning. I'm aware it's not the most intuitive solution, but level design itself was never supposed to revolve around it much. It was always intended as a recovery mechanic when you mess up. The true "turning" mechanic was always supposed to be walljumps.
lekochen
20. Dec 2015 · 14:58 UTC
The controls are brilliant!
SecondDimension
20. Dec 2015 · 17:57 UTC
Top marks for theme, very clever and a great entry. Some pretty great game design here!
YinYin
21. Dec 2015 · 11:04 UTC
Aha! Then you introduced wall jumps too late ;p

Truly it would've been a lot better if you spend more time on level design. For example I really thought the pit you learn falling in was too wide to use the wall jump - if it had some visual cues on the walls matching the pit you get the wall jump in that may have reminded me to back track with it instead of pushing onwards.
jdoughty
23. Dec 2015 · 16:55 UTC
8 Hours? Very nice work in that span! Very polished game play!
Weeping Rupee
23. Dec 2015 · 17:07 UTC
This was damn hard but rewarding. The part you had to specify in the description-- where you need the bullet jump thing... I think the reason I got stuck there was that I did not realize that with my wall jump holding down A would extend the jump/let me wall jump further. I knew I had to get back up to the top part to get that power up I saw right at the top but it took me 5 minutes or so before I figured out how to use the wall jumps right.
Drauthius
23. Dec 2015 · 23:18 UTC
That finish line was hard to reach. I can't really say I enjoyed playing the game with two buttons. Most of the time the wrong thing would happen, which I understand is my own fault, but it was quite annoying. Still, it was a worthy challenge and quite rewarding once I managed to get the hang of it a bit. The sound when the bullets hit the wall was a bit too sharp.
Tuism
24. Dec 2015 · 13:33 UTC
The idea is good, the execution pretty great, but the actual outcome wasn't... fun. It's very tedious. I think this is one of those to file under cool idea but ultimately not the best thing to do with two buttons.

If you ever played King of Thieves, this has that kind of feel to it, except I can time KOT with one touch, and this is a sequence of button hits... When I fail I feel like I'm unlucky rather than unskillful.

Cool exercise though :)
adrian09_01
25. Dec 2015 · 13:47 UTC
Cool. Is there something to do after getting Endless Jumpshot?
adrian09_01
25. Dec 2015 · 13:53 UTC
Cool. Found the secret ending! Make it longer! Bosses maybe? I will buy it on Steam.
KaiseanGames
27. Dec 2015 · 17:11 UTC
Cool. I liked the theme application. It's a bit hard for me, but very good nonetheless.
punkto
29. Dec 2015 · 15:34 UTC
Neat design and controls. Well done!
LeReveur
02. Jan 2016 · 00:35 UTC
Hard, but the concept is really fun. And learn abilities one after the other is great too. Well done !
rzuf
03. Jan 2016 · 12:07 UTC
Secret ending, woohoo! Would like to see some story in the game, as it's already pretty good in the mood department. :3 I like the music, it reminds me of Land of Illusion on Sega.
And wow, 8 hours, a mighty good job for such amount of time!
Diel Mormac
03. Jan 2016 · 14:08 UTC
I did all endings!
Peekotus
03. Jan 2016 · 15:45 UTC
A very unique way of making a metroidvania!
Christina Nordlander
03. Jan 2016 · 17:21 UTC
You've made a demo that's better than any of my full games. The graphics are lovely, though the main character sprite might need some work, and the shake effect gets a bit too much. I love the background music; reminds me of "La-Mulana"'s soundtrack. However, the sound effects are a bit too loud.

The world design is pretty great. Unfortunately, the controls made it too hard for me. Still, very good-looking game with a cool concept.
radmars
04. Jan 2016 · 05:25 UTC
Awesome! Really clever use of the theme here and quite fun too. The only issue I could find is that the amount of enemies in some of the areas is a bit excessive, but it's not too bad since they don't respawn. Nice job on the graphics & audio too!
Haokarlos
04. Jan 2016 · 15:27 UTC
I enjoyed playing this game. The graphics and the music really cool. Good job!
rojo
04. Jan 2016 · 16:49 UTC
For awhile it was pretty tough to drill the button combos into my brain. Still, the game was pretty fun and I liked the aesthetic. Good job!
pixelpotions
04. Jan 2016 · 18:04 UTC
Impressive! Awesome work, liked it a lot!
Really hard to master the controls.
A-Flat Miner Studios
04. Jan 2016 · 18:44 UTC
Love the way you used the two button limitation...and that's on top of excellent graphics and audio. Really fun!
ButtonMasherBros
04. Jan 2016 · 19:04 UTC
You were featured on Ludum Dare to Believe! Check it out! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHct4hxdQmI
Mach60KAS
04. Jan 2016 · 20:24 UTC
Very interesting application of the theme! I love your use of the 4-colour palette throughout the game, and I think you've done a great job with the music. This is incredible for just 8 hours, I'm extremely impressed. Keep up the great work!
Creative Sectors
04. Jan 2016 · 20:41 UTC
[Lazarus-omin from Creative Sectors]:
Jesus Christ, this is awesome! And it only took you about 8 hours to make?! That's just some mad science!

Controls are very slick, the worked exceptionally well with the given theme. The graphics and music just set the mood right, so if you plan to polish this further, a perfect base is given.

Finished the normal way, and found the secret ending too.

I'm speechless mate, nice job! Hope to see more of your magic!

P.s.: I haven't experienced lag, or any other anomalies.